Fall is here, pumpkin spice lattes, ballots in our mailboxes, and discouraged sighing about the election sprinkling my Facebook wall. As a millennial, maybe I’m supposed to feel glum about the whole thing—but nothing could be further from the truth.

A single person in the city of Snoqualmie pays roughly $120 per month, which over 12 months is $1,440 per year for their water bills. Someone making minimum wage and working 40 hours a week (with some overtime) makes roughly $15,000 after taxes per year.

Two local, very experienced mountaineers have been lost near Snoqualmie Pass this year: Monty Busby of Maple Valley; and my good friend Doug Walker of Seattle. They were probably doing reasonable hikes with a reasonable expectation of safety, and were well prepared, and yet, nature had other ideas for them.

My name is Mike Mitchell and I chair the Fire Authority Planning Committee for King County Fire Districts 10 and 38. Fire District 10 serves Carnation and the unincorporated areas of May Valley, Tiger Mountain, Mirrormont, and Preston. Fire District 38 serves the unincorporated areas around North Bend and Snoqualmie.

We are writing as a community of faith to protest the recent remarks of Representative Jay Rodne about Muslim people. We find his characterization of Muslims as ‘barbarians,” that “Islam is incompatible with western civilization,” and that Americans should arm themselves to be not only inaccurate, but also offensive and threatening.

So the local tribe sues the city of Snoqualmie because they somehow still think they’re owed something? Tribe spokesman Jeffrey Lamb states that “the tribe is trying to protect a business which is a huge and vital part of the local economy.” That’s a far reach; the tribe is self-serving.

Members of the Muslim Association of Puget Sound and other Muslim groups around the country were horrified by the San Bernardino shooting. They have firmly and repeatedly condemned acts of violence against innocent people.

I am absolutely outraged at all of the improvements the city has done downtown and on the Ridge to playgrounds, to add to the aesthetic quality of downtown and, this is the last straw, to the new blue neon-type light at the police station, when I’ve been urging the city for 11 years, to improve the park on Gravenstein Court.

I would like to give a huge thanks for all of those that helped make our Breakfast with Santa a tremendous success. Starting with “Santa” Chuck Smith (helper Dixie), photographer Mary Miller (Pam Whittington and Tina Brandon keeping an eye on her), Joy Lund and her kitchen staff, Mary Barrett jumping in with needed help and Byron Moore cleaning up.

I’ve lived and farmed for more than 25 years just one mile downstream from the former Tall Chief Golf course. In the article about the golf course property that ran (Nov. 18), county personnel stated they could not tell people how to farm. I wouldn’t do that either, but the Tall Chief property was purchased with public tax dollars. In selling the Tall Chief, the county first canvased the community to find out what we wanted to see the Tall Chief used for, establishing specific goals/expectations for the property.

I read the RFP, the Keller proposal, and the scoring, and was perplexed by the decision to sell Tall Chief to the Keller dairy. I wrote proposals for public works projects for many years. It is strange that the county did not require any letters of commitment from the five organic farms referenced in the Keller proposal, as they are major players achieving the scope of work by the dairy.

The county’s proposed Tall Chief sale is controversial. We, the public, now own this very special property. But soon, it will be closed to the public, trees will be cut down, feed corn will be planted, and three private homes could be built by one of the single largest landowners in the Valley.

Representative Jay Rodne posted on his Facebook page that President Obama “wants to import 1.5 million Muslims into the U.S.,” that “Islam is incompatible with western civilization,” and he called them “barbarians.” He also encouraged Americans to arm themselves. This is wrong on so many levels.

I feel compelled to comment on the Snoqualmie Police officer placed on administrative leave, because of my family’s past dealing with the department, in reference to my speech at the North Bend City Council meeting March 17, which is now on audio on the city’s website.